Do the right thing, HR consultant tells unions, members

Human resource management specialist Brittany Brathwaite is calling on labour unions and their members to adhere to industrial relations practices.

Her call came in light of the ongoing labour dispute involving Government and the Unity Workers’ Union (UWU) and its member nurses who have been off the job for over a week as they protest what they say are longstanding unsatisfactory work conditions, and plans by the Ministry of Health to require nurses to take the COVID-19 vaccine or do weekly test.

During a media conference on Wednesday, Prime Minister Mia Mottley chastised leader of the UWU Senator Caswell Franklyn for not upholding and respecting the agreed protocols for dealing with labour disputes.

Mottley announced that the striking healthcare workers will have their wages docked for the duration of the work stoppage.

However, a defiant Franklyn has insisted that nurses will remain off the job since his union “did everything correctly”.

In fact, Franklyn said he had written to Director General, Human Resources, in the Ministry of the Public Service, Gail Atkins and had meetings with her but got “no results”.

Reacting to the developments on Thursday, Brathwaite, who is President of the Human Resource Management Association of Barbados (HRMAB), told Barbados TODAY that yesterday’s press conference brought some “clarity” to the situation.

She said: “Being cognizant of what was shared in the press conference yesterday, one would have to lean in the direction of saying to both the leader of the Unity trade union as well as those participating in the industrial action, that of course there are rigours to the industrial relations practice in Barbados that should be respected and therefore if that is not being done, if they have in fact triggered action over something that is not in play then fundamentally that goes against the grain of all things that we would hold dear in relation to industrial relations.

“I am fully aware that other things may be circumventing the situation – pre-existing issues, etc – but deal with that through the appropriate mediums and have collective bargaining discussions around those things. I think that is what is important for everybody to focus on,” said Brathwaite.

The HR consultant explained that based on the information shared, government would be able to reduce the salary of striking nurses for the duration of the strike action, based on the law.

“The Government would not be outside of the sphere of what they are able to do in relation to any punitive action if persons do not return to their jobs,” she said.

Brathwaite warned that notwithstanding the longstanding grievances, it was important for the UWU and its members to follow protocol when it came to the matter of the planned “safe zone” policy.

Franklyn said the nurses had received a memorandum identifying over 100 people who were not vaccinated and working at the Geriatric Hospital, who would need to be tested “every Monday”.

This, he said was “the straw that broke the camel’s back”.

“We wrote to them previously and we told them that if they implement the safe zones without discussion or agreement from the UWU we will take strike action without any further reference to them….,” Franklyn pointed out in an interview with Barbados TODAY on Wednesday.

Pointing out that those involved in the meeting with the Prime Minister on Wednesday also indicated that the planned “safe zone” measures had not been implemented, Brathwaite cautioned: “I think those who are participating in industrial action need to pay careful attention to the facts of the matter and what is being shared by their Minister of Health.”

She said: “If the minister has said those things are in fact not a requirement then the industrial action would in fact have no basis.

“So in the grand scheme of things attention needs to be paid to what the minister is saying and if what you are striking for is in fact not in action they would have full right to dock pay.” marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb